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Hola friends! Hope everyone has a fantastic week! I feel so out of the loop with catching up with everyone because of going back to work. I only worked three days but am completely beat. I like to attribute some of my tiredness to my parents who are emotionally draining me by the minute but I digress…..

They do have some good characteristics and habits , like getting two or three newspapers on Sundays. You all can only imagine how elated I get when I wake up, have my coffee and breakfast and get to clipping! I take full advantage of the coupons by clipping them, alphabetizing them and scouring the ads to see if any items are sale that week (that I can use) and have a coupon for.

I combed the ads for CVS and Walgreens and found sales on a few items that I had coupons for which resulted in amazing savings! The best deal I got was at CVS:

All of this for $13.16! I had a BOGO coupon for the Clean & Clear and Dove products. I normally don’t buy men’s products but the coupon was a his and hers kind of coupon and it was free so why not?
At Walgreens I got these two items for $6 plus I received $3 off to use on my next purchase sop I like to think that’s like getting it for $3 something.

After CVS I went to Fresh Market. For those who don’t have FM, it’s like a smaller Whole Foods but without the made to order foods. I rarely buy anything there since it can pretty pricey after two or three items. So the real reason I go?
Free coffee.

Oh yeah.
They have sample cups for you to try and they always have interesting flavors on hand along with organic half and half and raw sugar, The other weekend they have Georgia Pecan and I kinda wished that I had brought along my coffee tumbler to fill up. After I had a few sample cups of coffee, I walked through the chip aisle and saw they have BOGO sale on Kettle Brand chips. I quickly remembered that I had a $1 off coupon for Kettle Brand because I somehow have a photographic memory when it comes to my coupons (I do NOT forget savings) Do I need potato chips? Hell to the no but if I can get a flavorful bag for $1.15, I’m not going to pass that up.

I was sad they didn’t have my favorite flavor, Spicy Thai but picked up two other solid choices instead.
When not working, my mom and I have been checking out thrift stores a couple of times a week. I like to take her with me on Wednesdays since all the Good Wills in the area offer 25% off to seniors. So I shop, give her money, have her purchase and save some dough. I am not looking forward to getting older but discounts at thrift stores and cheap coffee at McDonalds make it seem a little better. At the Goodwill we went to last week, it was not only senior citizens day but I also saw this beautiful sign right when we walked in

The thrift store is the main place I get books and now thanks to reading a post about books over at The Lofty Appetite , I have another avenue to find books. I got three books for $1.23 when at Goodwill and although I could have stayed there for hours looking through the titles, I kept it at a minimum because sometimes I buy too many books and never get to reading them.

Speaking of McDonalds, they have been sending mad coupons as of late. They send us two pamphlets of coupons featuring not only BOGO coupons but also coupons for free coffee, smoothies and sodas.

I tried the pineapple mango smoothie and even though it was free, it was pretty nasty. It was entirely too sweet for me and I winced when taking the three sips that I did because I felt if something tasted that bad, it should get me drunk.

I used this coupon for a free coffee regardless of size, this afternoon at the McDonalds near my temporary work

I found it highly amusing that when ordering, the cashier asked me if it was for there or to go. I tilted my head and stared at her and answered/asked “To go?” Not only free coffee but free entertainment as well. I dig.

What I don’t dig is that I’ve been trying so hard to save any money I can on the daily including not going to Starbucks everyday like I used to. I lived within walking distance of a Starbucks for six years and now the closest one is a few miles away….and nowhere on the way to work. So I’ve been drinking this:

Gag. I’m a coffee snob and feel like anytime I take a sip of this stuff, hair is going to pop up on my chest. It’s a step above car dealership coffee though, when I drink that I react as if I’m taking a shot of hooch. I would love to know who this Maxwell fellow is and why he likes such crappy coffee in his house.

Where do you buy books? If you don’t buy, do you go to the library or borrow from friends or just don’t read literature other than my blog?

I got my traditional breakfast of Dunkin Donuts egg white turkey sausage flatbread along with a cup of joe (but with an extra shot of espresso)

And I gotta say, not a fan of their flatbread they’ve been using recently. I noticed they changed it in the past year. The bread now seems tougher and lacks the flavor of the previously one used. Thank God, Lincoln was the only one in the car with me while eating this because it was one of the unsexiest things I’ve devoured. I was practically gnawing at the sandwich just trying to get one bite. I must write DD soon and voice my opinion because unsexy flatbreads aren’t good for anyone.

Homeboy looks confused why I am trying so hard for a little bite of food.

So, I drove. The drive heading west into Tennessee moved very slow due to the rain in the mountains but once we went across the TN border, it turned into a gorgeous and peaceful day.

Until I turned on the radio.

All country, all the time. Ok, I lie, all country and Christian rock music. These Christian rock folk are sneaky too. I would be jammin to the song then all of a sudden I listen to the lyrics and hearing about sacrificing, loving Jesus, etc. I am all for the J man but not with music. Especially when I was listening to Nine Inch Nails “Closer” a half hour before. So the country came on and I listened Mostly because I was too lazy to grab a cd or turn on Pandora. I like torturing myself like that. Then “Strawberry Wine” by Deanna Carter came on. I haven’t heard that song in ages and wore out the cd “Did I Shave My Legs For This?” when I was in high school. I actually still use that saying whenever I have a bad date. I’m not a country music gal at all but I did go through a small stage in high school and time after college where it’s all I listened to. I blame this on working at Roadhouse Grill as a hostess and dating a guy from Texas, respectively. I listened to the country station after that and heard a song and thought it was cute. I was thinking to myself “Please don’t be Taylor Swift, please don’t be Taylor Swift” and yeah, it turned out to be “Mean” by the Swift bunny. Grrr. I don’t like that girl. I don’t know if it’s because she is so tall, lanky, looks like an evil bunny rabbit (I affectionately call her Donnie Darko), that we share the same birthday or that she does the love sign with her hands all the time when I was doing it way before her but I just don’t like her. Yet, I was jammin to her song and contemplated downloading the song.

Maybe I can get on board with country music?

Not only was the music a let down, the snack department was disappointing. I grabbed this Oikos greek yogurt from the fridge since I could always use a container of protein loving

I think I’ve been spoiled by Chobani because no other greek yogurt comes even close to theirs. Like the Yoplait yogurt I tried a few weeks ago, I wasn’t a fan of the Oikos.

I brought a coconut water with me

Nasty as well. I struggled just to choke down 1/3 of this and poured the remainder out at a rest stop. It wasn’t overly sweet or tart, it was just nasty and not like other coconut water I’ve tried. I will be staying away from the passion fruit flavor in the future.

In true Frugal Friday fashion, lunch was free! When in Kentucky, I stopped for gas and when I went in to go pay for a Diet Coke, I saw this sign

Oh, it was on. Gas station pizza may not be the best option for lunch but I’m not one to turn down pizza.

Look at those mini puddles of grease sitting on the pepperoni, yum.After a few blots of a napkin, Lincoln and I shared the piece then went on our way through Kentucky.

The drivers in Kentucky were crazy—the speed limit was 70 mph and I was going 80 mph but I felt like everyone else was going at least 90mph. I kept getting over in the right hand lane to let people pass and I’m not going to go off on a rant but some people out there really need to learn that the left lane is passing lane. You don’t just sit there and hang out. If someone is behind you, move over and let them go. I cannot stand the coasters.

I was getting a bit worried because I had a coupon for Chick Fil A that I wanted to use for a free dinner but didn’t see any in the state.

I kept thinking to myself “What is Kentuckys beef with Chick Fil A?” and then bam-I saw a billboard for it. And the angels were watching over me because I saw there was a Starbucks at the same exit and believe I raised my hands in the air while exiting saying “Praise Jesus” which I never say. I blame this on Melissa from Real Housewives of New Jersey and her Jesus talk. I got my salad to go, along with a cup of ice to keep it cold since I wouldn’t be eating it until later then got some caffeination.

For those of you who want to see what Louisville looks like, here you go:

That cup of ice that I got at Chick Fil A came in handy big time. When I was an hour south of Indianapolis, traffic came to a dead stop and went to one lane then slowly started to move again and went back to two lanes. Why not do construction on a major road leading to Indianapolis on not only Memorial Day Wknd but Race Wknd as well (Indy 500 is on Sunday) So, we were back at two lanes but 20 minutes went by and we didn’t move at all. I start to get a little agitated with this, not only do I have to pee, my butt was asleep and there was a creepy trucker next to me waiving at me. I looked up traffic online and turns out that there was a big rig carrying hazardous materials heading south on I-65 that overturned and went into the northbound lane, so northbound was completely shut down. We sat there for another hour before traffic returned to normal and I could do the minimum speed again. All I could do was stare at Lincoln and wish that I could have someone driving me around (and that I had a furry bed like his)

I got to my sisters house and took a bubble then enjoyed my salad.

I was disappointed with the salad. The lettuce didn’t taste fresh and it was meh at best. And don’t think just because I was on the road I didn’t score some condiment loving

Happy Friday all! This week’s Frugal Friday is going to be on my couponing habits….pronounced couponing not q-poning, drives me BANANAS when people call it q-pons! Anyways, you all know I am forever on the prowl (rawr) for a good deal and saving money wherever I can.

Step 1: Getting the coupons

My mom used to work for a newspaper and would send me extra coupons they had sitting around there. But now, I have to be like everyone else and pay for my Sunday paper. It’s all good though, I don’t mind shelling out $1.50 in exchange for major savings. I love the Sunday newspaper because on the front page they tell you the amount of savings with the coupons enclosed.

Besides newspapers, I print coupons online. I primarily use Coupon Mom and Coupon Suzy to get them and print them off. I like a lot of brands on Facebook because many of them offer an introductory coupon for liking them so check out your favorite brands on there!

Step 2: Organizing the coupons

I’ve had my fruitalicious coupon organizer for six years and carry it wherever I go.

I organize in groups by brand name A-D, E-I, J-N, O-S, T-Z.

Now, the big issue with my coupons used to be making sure I used them in time. Sometimes once you clip the coupons and store them, the expiration date could pass right by you and you’re out of savings. We don’t like that. I go through my coupon organizer every week and when I do, I pull out the ones that are going to expire in less than a month and highlight them in the upper right hand corner.

By doing this, it stands out when you are looking through your coupons instead of hiding away with the others.

Step 3: Finding the Deals

Every week, I take the supermarket circulars that I get in the mail, lay them out on the floor and pull out my coupons to see if I have any coupons for the items that are on sale.

This past week was Super Double Coupons up to $1.98 at Harris Teeter and I wanted to take advantage of the savings. I went to Our Coupon Home and found a thread noting many of the items on sale and coupons that are currently valid for those items. On the site, they show how much the item is, what coupons are out there (a link to printable ones) then how much you will pay for the item. If you go to Our Coupon Home’s main page, you can select a supermarket near you to find the specials of the week! It’s a great website to use if you are looking to get the most bang for your buck!

Step 4 : Using the Coupons

Once I went to Our Coupon Home and looked at the specials for the week and checked if I had any coupons or could print them out online, I was ready to go. I made a list of all the items I needed to get. Some items weren’t on my original list but Our Coupon Home mentioned some items that I could get for free or under $1. No, I didn’t need some of those items right at the moment but there is a 98% chance I will use them in the next two months so I would stock up. That being said, I went to Harris Teeter on Saturday morning and had my eye on the prize. I had my sneakers on, two cups of coffee in my system and was moving at record speeds throughout the store. I organize my list by section of the grocery store: Produce, Deli, Middle Rows, Meat, Dairy, Frozen, etc. so I just make my way from front to back and collect my items.

Step 5: Show off the deals you find

I now present you with what I got on Saturday April 30 at Harris Teeter (please don’t skip the photos to see how much I got all of this for!) :

A lot of items right?

Total of all the items above? $58

But after my coupons? Are you ready for this??

$15.12!!!!

When the cashier told me the total, I seriously broke out into a happy dance at the check out stand (you’re welcome for shaking my booty towards you, bagboy) I couldn’t believe that my coupons saved me that much money! I got a number of items for free—the hummus, half and half, guacamole, chocolate bar, Luna Bar, So Delicious Coconut Milk, Tyson Chicken and Chef Michaels dog food. I got many other items for under $1—Tony’s Pizza—not the healthiest but for $.17 a piece? Yeah, I am buying it and will eat as drunk food! The Smart Balance milk was around $.60, Newman’s Own Salsa $.89 and Yoplait Greek Yogurt $.44/each.

So if someone tells me coupons aren’t worth it or take too much time to look for/clip/organize, I will say come look at this post. You just have to dedicate a little time each week to doing so but there are sooooo many sources out there, you would be a fool not to use coupons.

Hi everyone—happy Frugal Friday! As many of you know, today is my last day of work for God knows how long. So my eye is on the prize and will be going to happy hour to celebrate my freedom from corporate America after the work day. But have no fear because I have a wonderful guest post for you all today from Amanda of Two Boos Who Eat. I love reading the adventures of Amanda and Andy in Southern California and am envious of what a solid and supportive marriage they have. Reading their blog always brings a smile to my face!

Hi Simply Shaka readers! My name is Amanda and I blog over at Two Boos Who Eat with my husband Andy.

Right now, I’m working on my teaching credential and don’t have a paying job. It’s hard but I’ve learned to be super creative when it comes to saving money!

· Groupon& Livingsocial aren’t super present in the suburbs but they DO offer good deals in L.A. so I try to follow the e-mails and save them for a rainy day. I recently purchased an hour massage on Livingsocial for $40. I wouldn’t be able to afford it otherwise.

· Local community supported agriculture! My husband and I signed up for a weekly organic produce pick-up. It’s $20 a week and it’s ALL organic. We can’t pick our produce since it’s seasonal, but we always get a nice variety of delicious fruit, greens and veggies. I highly suggest researching “CSAs” or “Produce Pick-ups” in your area.

· Couponing! I subscribe to several coupon blogs on google reader. I put all of the coupon blogs in a separate folder so it’s easier for me to check it. My favorites:

*Found out that Jon Secada is still alive and well and putting out cd’s

*Got some new cd’s

*Wondered why I went buckwild with a BOGO sale on M&M’s and Starburst at CVS

*Marveled at how great my hair looked with it’s natural curls coming out to play without doing anything to it

*Read about Bru’s Wiffle in Santa Monica and decided I will be there if I am in Southern Cali again.

The serve Belgian waffles but not just for breakfast dishes—they have it as the base for other dishes such as Chicken Curry Salad Waffle and a Pizza Waffle!

*Watched Shiba Inu’s live for a ridiculous amount of time. They were absolutely adorable but then I started to get concerned because do they ever go off line? When do they get to go outside and do their business? What happens when they grow up, will there be replacements like with Menudo?

“During special promotions we may offer coupons in order for people to try something new at little or no cost. The brand must pay for these coupons and the number of coupons available is limited by brand marketing and promotion budgets.

We do not offer Kraft coupons upon request, but look for them in newspapers, magazines, and on product packages”

Thumbs down, Athenos, thumbs down.

*Went to Target to shop

Found a cute jacket on the clearance rack along with a pair of fun sandals since it looks like I won’t be wearing my flip flops as much as I have been.

*Had a killer lunch of leftovers

*Googled pictures of Colorado and Colorado Springs. My best friend just moved there and I think I am going to visit this summer!

Mail rocks. I feel like I never get anything fun in the mail anymore except for Netflix once a week and a random card or package. But this past week has been full of nice surprises….

1) Starbucks free petit treat coupon

At first, I thought this was my free drink coupon and was a bit disappointed that it wasn’t. But then I got excited since I’ve been eyeing their cake pops. I’m all about having a small sweet in the afternoon for a little pick me up.

2) Books and coupon!

I won this book through a giveaway on Looking Up While Slimming Down. Neyal even sent me a coupon for Chobani Champions since she knows I love the CHO and knows I love saving money even more!

As much as it pains me to say, I’m getting older and along with that comes changes in my skin. The texture of my skin has changed due to age, sun damage and other factors and I am not 100% happy with how my face looks. Every day I wake up, I see lines that never used to be there and bags under my eyes. This is not a good look for me. When I received this in the mail, I opened it up like a little kid on Christmas and tried it out immediately! The serum is clear and not gooey like other products out there. The scent is citrusy with a hint of woodsy. I put it on the area of my face I want to firm such as my forehead, cheeks and around my eyes every morning and night. It’s very light weight and it only takes a small dab to cover the areas I wanted to get. It didn’t take long to dry after applying so it was easy to put on my night time moisturizer or makeup on afterwards. I’ve been using it for the past two weeks and can say my face feels tighter in those areas but not a 180 in firmness since I haven’ been using it too long . I would buy this product on my own since it is very reasonably priced compared to other firming serums out there. My only gripe was that the bottle is silver so you can’t see how much you have left.

I’ve been reading about coconut oil in the blog world and wondered what the hype was about. I love coconut anything and regularly use use vegetable and extra virgin olive oil to cook with, so I figured, why not give coconut oil a shot? But when I got the tub of coconut oil and opened it up, I had no clue what to do with it since it was in a solid form.

I did some research online and you can heat it up or you can add to smoothies, granola and many other things. Works for me!

My first experiment with it was with tofu. I breaded the tofu with plain breadcrumbs while the coconut oil was warming up. I used about to tablespoons of it since it packs some calories and fat with it

The coconut oil warmed up very quickly, so I tossed in the tofu and let it fry. Maybe it was the music I was jamming to or I wasn’t completely ravenous but it seemed to take shorter to cook than when I use vegetable oil—nothing wrong with that!

As much as I love coconut. I was a bit weary about it coming out completely coconut flavored but the tofu came out crispy with barely a hint of coconut.

I also used coconut oil in my smoothie to give it a little hint of coconut which brings us to the third item I received

Yet another item that I’ve been reading about in the blog world for some time but never knew why people were so crazy about the chia seeds. From reading about them online, I wondered—did people like them because they that tasty or that beneficial to your health?

Supports Heart Health
Chia seeds can help reduce blood pressure. The seeds contain one of the highest known plant sources of essential fatty acids (omega-3 and omega-6). EFAs cannot be synthesized by our bodies however, it is very important that we get enough to support our immune, cardiovascular, nervous and reproductive systems. EFA deficiency is quite common in North America.

Stabilizes Blood Sugar
Chia seeds slow down the rate at which complex carbohydrates are digested and then assimilated into the body. The soluble fiber helps to stabilize blood glucose levels resulting in steady, sustained energy. In one study on diabetic patients, Dr. Vladamir Vuksan of St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, found that blood was thinner and less prone to clotting and blood pressure of participants dropped significantly, after three months of taking Chia seeds daily.

Energizing
The word “Chia” comes from the Mayan language and means strength. Chia seeds are a balanced blend of protein, carbohydrates, fats and fiber. It is said that 1 tablespoon of Chia can sustain a person for 24 hours. Athletes have reported that Chia seeds help them perform at optimal levels for much longer periods of time.

Anti-Inflammatory Properties
A number of arthritis sufferers have reported reduced pain and inflammation after a few weeks of taking Chia seeds. The high concentration of omega-3 helps to lubricate joints and keep them supple. Additionally, Omega-3s are converted into prostaglandins which are known to have both pain relieving and anti-inflammatory effects.

Weight Loss
The essential fatty acids contained in Chia seeds helps to boost metabolism and promote lean muscle mass. The seeds are sometimes added to food to provide bulk and nutrients while adding very few calories. For these reasons, many people have found Chia quite useful in weight loss and weight maintenance.

Detoxification and Elimination
Similar to psyllium, the swelling action of Chia in the body helps to cleanse and soothe the colon, and absorb toxins while lubricating and strengthening peristaltic action.

High Quality Protein
Chia seeds contain about 20% protein, a higher percentage than found in many other grains such as wheat and rice. Chia seeds contain strontium which helps to assimilate protein and produce high energy.

Antioxidants
Chia seeds are an excellent source of antioxidants containing even more antioxidants than fresh blueberries. The high amounts of antioxidants in Chia seeds also keeps the oils from going rancid – contributing to a long shelf life.

Brain Power
EFAs are known to make cell membranes more flexible and efficient making nutrients more readily available and nerve transmission more efficient. This helps to improve brain function (including memory and concentration).

I’ve just tried it in my smoothies but want to start adding them to my yogurt and oats. I’ve been soaking the chia seeds in water for five minutes before adding them to my smoothies to soften them up a little. I’ve enjoyed them so far, they don’t have a real taste to them and if you soak them, aren’t too seedy. But give me all those benefits in one little serving? You can be sure I will continue to use chia seeds!

Can I get a T to the GIF? This has been one of the longest weeks I’ve had in awhile and so happy it’s over! Along with my normal work drama, I think another contributing factor to the long week has been the gorgeous weather we’ve had in Charlotte this week. It’s been sunny with temperatures ranging from the 60s -80s outside which it makes it almost unbearable to be stuck inside of a gray cube.

Random savings all throughout the week for me though, starting on Saturday. I went to Cafe Carolina for lunch. I joined their e-club for the coupons alone since I heard they send you coupons for free breakfast and lunch items. I’ve never been to Café Carolina before but I used to live near their location and planned on using their coupons but never got around to it. Good thing this coupon was good until April because I was in the mood for a free lunch! Well, almost free, you had to buy a drink to get the free sandwich but $1.81 for lunch isn’t too bad of a deal.

I got the Carolina Turkey Breast and it was meh. I would’ve enjoyed a sandwich made at home more but I had hopes for their cracked wheat sunflower bread. The bread light and airy but would have been better toasted and the turkey quality reminded me of slimy, deli meat.

Oh well, I had high hopes for this place since everything on their menu looked wonderful. It reminded me of Panera…. A cold, unwelcoming Panera. There was a lot of natural light coming in but no comfy chairs, no music and just a mean feeling to the place so I most likely won’t go back unless I have a great coupon and am in that part of town again.

Tip: Don’t want to sign up for businesses emails lists because of them flooding your inbox? Create a folder specific for email deals and check it a few times a week to see if there are any coupons you can use!

I went to Bi-Lo shortly after lunch and found a few good deals:

BOGO Earnest Eats bars two for $1.49

Jelly Belly Green Apple Pudding for $.59. Ok, so it sounds nasty but look at that atomic green color! It was too green not to pass up at only $.59. It will either be really good or really bad. Not gonna lie when I say I’m a bit skeptical about trying it.

Wai Lana Yogi Chips-$.99. I’ve heard of this chips before but never knew you could find it stores. When I looked online, you can get them for $1.59 plus shipping and handling so I saved some money by buying at the store.

I got a coupon for a free container of Yoplait yogurt in the mail this week. I love coming home from work to find mail waiting for me, especially when it’s not a bill!

Tip: Like your favorite brands on Facebook or follow them on Twitter. Sometimes they offer coupons just for being a fan!

Dinner Thursday night was courtesy of a Groupon deal for Sauceman’s, a restaurant that opened a few months ago in South End.

I called in my order, drove over and within the 10 minute time frame, the food was ready. Now, that, is what I like to see!

I got the white pizza and a side salad and only had to shell out $3 more.

Tip: Check your Groupon/Living Social/Half Off Depot deals to see if it includes both dine in and take out. If it’s take out, order a big dish or item and you can get two or three meals out of it!

What deals did you find this week?
Do you buy Groupon, Living Social, Half Off Depot or other deals on the daily? I need to stop myself from buying so many! I keep a folder with me at all times with my deals that I buy so if I’m out and about, I can use them instead of having to stop off at home to print them out.